A Quiet Hero In Jerusalem

David Suissa writes:

Andrea, who is from New York, a single mother of six and has the energy of several rowdy kids, is bracing herself for a difficult few months ahead. One question she’ll need to resolve is what to do with the silver-and- gold bracelet. She’s thinking that after the 30 days of mourning, maybe the girls can give it to Libby’s daughter in a special ceremony at Shalva. She’s not sure.

She tells me that I just barely missed seeing Libby when I visited Shalva — apparently, she arrived a few minutes after I left.

The truth is, it doesn’t really matter whether I met Libby Goren or not. It doesn’t matter whether any of us ever met any of the victims.

There’s something about moments of intense tragedy that shocks us into intimacy. The losses feel like personal losses. The tragedy may be 8,000 miles away, and we may be in Pico-Robertson or Paris or Montreal or Argentina, but we feel like the victims are right next to us — that we know them.

In my case, I got to know a little more about Elizabeth “Libby” Goren-Friedman just by seeing the faces on those young girls at Shalva whom she treated like her own.

Those same young girls who are probably wondering right now why she hasn’t shown up this week.

About Luke Ford

Raised a Seventh-Day Adventist at Avondale College in Australia, Luke Ford moved to California in 1977. He graduated from Placer High School in 1984, reported the news at KAHI/KHYL radio for three years, attended Sierra College and UCLA, was largely bedridden by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for six years, and converted to Judaism in 1993. From 1997-2007, Luke made his living from blogging. Living by Beverly Hills (Alexander90210.com), he now teaches the Alexander Technique (moving the way the body likes to move). Lessons cost $100 each and last about 45 minutes. In 2011, Luke completed a three-year teaching course at the Alexander Training Institute of Los Angeles. His personal Alexander Technique website is Alexander90210.com. Luke is the author of five books, including: » The Producers: Profiles in Frustration » Yesterday’s News Tomorrow: Inside American Jewish Journalism
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